Ten years ago, I wrote a blog about freedom. It was 2016; I was newly into entrepreneurship, doing things part-time, and still trying to figure out what I actually wanted in life. I knew I wanted to walk away from corporate eventually, so I made a list of everything I wanted from the life I was trying to build. These are the things that were on my list:
Wake up without an alarm.
Have breakfast with my husband every morning.
Work in an office that goes beyond four walls.
Make my own hours.
Let my creativity soar.
Travel without limits.
Dye my hair any color I want.
That list felt enormous when I wrote it—almost impossible. Like I was putting a wish list out to the universe and hoping it wouldn’t laugh at me. Well, today is July 4th, and I’m writing about freedom again, but for different reasons.
What Has Changed
Now, I have most of what was on that list 10 years ago.
Not every item is perfect every single day, because let’s be real. This is business ownership, not a movie montage. But the bones of it are there. I work when I want to work and show up for the things that matter. Last month, I went to a conference in Charlotte and walked away with a grant from a woman who believes in where I’m headed. And while I was there, I saw my old self stay on the doorstep and my new self step into something new.
Back in 2016, no one told me that getting what I wanted would mean I would stop wanting. In fact, my dreams have only gotten bigger. And that means my list has grown. The version of freedom you dream about at the beginning turns into something bigger and more specific over time. It becomes more yours the further you get into building it.
Freedom Isn’t What I Thought It Was
When I wrote that original post, I thought freedom was about escaping something. Leaving behind the 9-to-5, the alarm clock, and the limits someone else put on my time and my life. And that was true, but that was only part of it.
Now, after almost four years of running the business full-time—the one I built from scratch—freedom isn’t about escaping anymore. It’s about building something new.
Freedom without structure is just chaos with a pretty name. The reason I can work the hours I want is because I have systems in place that hold things steady when I step away. It’s why I can leave for a conference for a week and not spend the whole week worrying about what’s falling apart at home. The business I’m building doesn’t depend on my constant presence to keep running. That’s not luck; that’s what the right foundation actually does.
The freedom I have today wasn’t handed to me. I built it, piece by piece. And I’m still building it—the rebrand, the systems, the crew, and the version of me that keeps growing into who she’s supposed to be. All of it is part of the same project. It’s a project that has a new phase begin when one is complete.
What I’d Tell My 2016 Self
You’re going to get most of what’s on that list. And when you do, you’re going to want more.
But here’s the big sister advice I’d give myself: build the foundation first.
The freedom you’re dreaming about is only sustainable if there’s something underneath it holding it up.
Get your systems right.
Find your people.
Let the right ones help you.
Don’t try to hold every piece of your business in your head and your hands forever.
Oh, and update your “why” list, and update it often. Because the version of you who wrote it years ago didn’t know what you know now, and the list deserves to keep up with you.
Here’s Your Action Step
I still believe in the power of writing down what you want. I’ve watched it work in my own life, over and over again. So here’s what I want you to do today:
Write down your freedom list. Not the one from five years ago, the one that belongs to who you are right now and who you’re becoming. What does freedom actually look like for you today—in your business, in your schedule, and in the way your week feels?
Then look at what you wrote and ask yourself one question: What is the one thing standing between me and this?
You don’t have to think of every single obstacle. Just write down one thing. And then ask yourself: What’s one step I can take this week to start removing it?
That’s how the list becomes real. Not all at once, just one honest step at a time.
What did your freedom list look like when you started? And what would you write on it today? Drop a comment and share your progress. I’d love to hear about it!
Happy Independence Day. 🇺🇸
